Traditionally stuffed animals are familiar toys which have given much pleasure to adults as well as enjoyment to children. Children derive a sense of comfort, security and companionship in addition to simple playfulness from a stuffed animal toys because of their plush composition and typically appealing design. A directional flashlight is useful for a child to see in the dark, whether for entertainment or practical purposes. It is desirable to have a device that combines both features of a stuffed animal and a directional light suitable for operation by a child. More specifically a need is seen for a stuffed animal with a flashlight removably embedded in an appendage of the animal and which flashlight can be operated from within the animal, or optionally, after removal from, and separate from the animal.
A stuffed animal with the novel combination of features is believed to be unknown in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,861 discloses a plush toy with a light, however the light is not removable for use outside the body of the stuffed animal toy. Furthermore, the plush toy gives of a diffuse light for general illumination while the light beam is directional in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,965 provides a stuffed toy horse with an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) located along the mane. The toy also features an ability to produce sounds synchronized with illumination of the lights. In contrast, the present invention has emits a directional light beam and the light source can be used independently of the animal in the manner of a flashlight.